Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-16
VISITING THE DOOMED.
AN HOUR WITH THE CONDEMNED
REDS" AT CHICAGO.

REDS" AT CHICAGO.
Bearing of the Prisoners and Their Wives
Mrs Parsons "Grit''-The Stats lei
Arbeiter Zeitung Sees It-SehiiiIng's Mis-
sion-Ben Butler Explains.
CHICAGO, Sept All of the condemned
Anarchists were visited by their relatives be-
tween the hours of 8 and 10 o'clock Thurs
day morning. It was stated that Parsons
was not averse to being interviewed on his
views as to the injustice of the decision, but
all attempts to draw him out on the topic
proved futile. He would not talk on the
matter, and with violent motion of the
hands said in voice in which rage and i'm
patience were strongly blended II don't
know anything about it"
A pathetic incident in the visit of the
friends was noticed when one of Mrs Schwabs
curly headed children asked to see herfather's
room. Waterman Osborne brought the lit
tie one up the iron stairway and opened the
heavy barred gate to give the child an oppor-
tunity to enter. She romped all over the
narrow cell, needless of the fact that it was
her parents dungeon lodging, and picked up
the various articles and examined them with
an infantile curiosity that was not marred by
the thought of her fathers awful predica-
ment The kind Waterman looked on the
while, and was vsibly relieved when the lit
tie tot requested him to take her back to her
mother, who stood at the cage conversing
with Fielden
Nina Van Zandt came to behold Spies Gus
tomary neatness and quiet demeanor marked
her bearing She showed manifold signs of
grief, and during her half-hour's converse
| ton with August was manifestiy using all
| the will-power she is so strongly possessed Of
| to prevent outbreak of the tears She
was detected, and a certain hauteur of car
| riage that has been apparent was wanting
| The Jail officials treat her with most marked
| courtesy, and as she trips by them on her
| mission of solace they respectfully swerve
aside Spies has lost none of the heroic bear
| ing that is so familiar to his admirers He
chatted and spoke with all who approached
| him with the easy nonchalance of a captive
on the eve of liberation rather than one on
the threshold of the grave. Most OF his hour
for exercise was given to Miss Nina
|
cage holding low conversation with her hus
band. She is as every one knows, woman
possessed of rare fortitude, and none could
| guess from her composed bearing that she
was suffering in the least She confined her
attention solely to her husband, and at the
conclusion of the interview walked briskly
forth to the court yard exit, her head erect
her every attitude breathing defiance and
courage that not even her husbands distress
| ing situation could dispel
Fischer found comfort in the visit of his
| wife and brother who assiduously appliad
themselves to the work of consolation Miss
Engei was the sole ray OF sunshine that en-
tered the gloomy cavern to she'd the effulgence
of her presence on her father 5 blighted heart
She directed her efforts to solaclng him, aud
at the expiration of the time had so far sue
| ceeded in restoring him to an equahle frame
| of mind that he actually became quite CAV.
and trtpped up the stairs ascending to his
narrow abode Ms blithe and ight-hearted as
the nature of his adverse circumstances would
permit.
FIeiden was not without his good angel
His wife, accompanied by his two children.
came to offer such comfort as would be ac-
ceptable in such all hour
The Stats Heitung, which has hitherto
been in favor Of the execution of the An
| archiSts. came out Thursday in an editorial
| supporting communication of the sentence
| The main paragraph reads as follows:
| II would be more clever if the defense instead
of seeking through legal bubbles to disturb and
| excite public opinion, took advantage of the
present prevailing milder sentiment of the pubic.
in order TO present petition to the governor,
not for free pardon but for a commu tatihn of
the death sentence to penal servitude 1t might
be possible that such attempt would meet
with success. But it would have to be understood
that in the meantime the comrades of the con
demned men should be very well behaved and
very tranquil. Should they, however continue
acting as they have done at their meetings during
the last few months they won d surely bring their
comrades to the gallows.
Thursday afterno ms edition of The Arbiter
Zeltung contained the following editorial i'll
English:
The English government may now avail itself
of the precedent established by the instj;,., ven
ders of the state of Illinois, and charge. convict
and hang Gladstone. Faruell LIbouchere. Davitt
O'Brlen, Dillon and others for the murder of a
number of Irish citizens IN the Nitcballtown meet.
ing. committed by constabes and the police Tn,
aforementioned members of the British parIia
ment did exactly the thing for which our
comrades here are To suffer They advised the
people to resist unlawful invasion by the gun and
budgeon authorities But what do YOU think
The same hireng Scribblcrs here who clamor for
the blood Of comrades are charging the
MItchelliown murder upon the English govern
ment eXOuerating the IRISH leaders If the HAY
market meeting had taken place in Ireland We
should have heard a great deal about tue lawIess
mes and bruialities of the Irish police about
provocation, breaking up of peaceful assem-